Liverpool have lost five of their last six Premier League games to fall seven points behind leaders Arsenal and Alan Shearer believes their title hopes are over
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer has given his verdict on Liverpool's title chances
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Former England striker Alan Shearer has declared Liverpool's title challenge is over and warned they "won't win anything" this season unless there's a dramatic turnaround following their alarming slump in form.
The Merseyside club had made a blistering start to the campaign, securing five consecutive victories to sit top of the table, but their fortunes have nosedived since suffering defeat to Crystal Palace in late September. Manager Arne Slot has watched his team lose seven matches from their previous ten across all competitions.
Most concerning has been their league form, with five defeats from their last six fixtures seeing them slip down the standings. Arsenal now enjoy a commanding seven-point advantage over Liverpool.
Sunday's 3-0 humbling at the Etihad against Pep Guardiola's City exposed their current frailties, with the Reds producing a toothless display. The result served as a harsh wake-up call, and Shearer fears they could finish the campaign empty-handed.
Speaking to Betfair, he said: "If Liverpool continue to play like they did against Manchester City, then they won't win anything. They'll get dumped out of whatever competitions they're in. They've got the FA Cup and the Champions League, but I do think the league's gone for them now they've lost five games.
"I don't see them being in a title race now. I think they would have to probably win every single game between now and the end of the season. I don't think that's possible. So, I think their title race is done. It's the Champions League or the FA Cup for Liverpool, but they won't be winning any of those unless they improve anyway."
The Reds started the campaign as reigning champions following a summer spending spree of £400 million - including two British transfer record-breaking deals. Yet the squad has failed to gel, with several marquee signings underperforming.
Ahead of the City fixture, Liverpool had secured victories against Aston Villa before following up with an impressive Champions League triumph over Real Madrid. Shearer believed this could prove the catalyst to revive their struggling season.
Mohamed Salah during a Liverpool game
Liverpool have only won game once since late September in the Premier League
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But they failed to capitalise on that momentum, with familiar defensive weaknesses resurfacing. "It was a bit of a surprise because I thought the Real Madrid game might have been a turning point for them," said Shearer.
"It might have been a sign for them to say, 'Let's go, let's do this, let's kick on for the rest of the season'. But it actually went back to what it was a couple of weeks earlier. They were really flat; they were really poor defensively."
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